A gas turbine engine includes a fan having an array of fan blades coupled to a central fan hub to generate bypass and core airflow. Each fan blade includes a root portion or dovetail at a radially inner end of the fan blade that is configured to be inserted into a corresponding slot of the fan hub. During operation of the gas turbine engine, the fan blade and fan hub may experience corrosion, wear, and damage at the interface of the root portion and the fan hub slot due to multi-directional stress, vibration, and occasional contact with foreign objects. Repair, maintenance, and assembly operations involving fan blade removal or installation may further wear the surfaces of the fan blades and/or the fan hub.
A need exists in the art for a fan blade structure and method that provides wear and corrosion resistance, dampening, resilience, compliance, or energy absorption in a cost-effective manner at the interface of the fan blade and fan hub.